


Ocean

by RensSaxophone



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:06:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23443681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Relationships: Ichinose Tokiya/Jinguuji Ren
Kudos: 14





	Ocean

Ren didn’t live near the ocean- it was nearly an hour away. But sometimes when he’d take a drive, he’d go to a cove near the water that always seemed to be dead, and he’d spend some time by himself, watching the waves. He’s been doing this for the span of a few months at this point, going almost once a week. As an idol, it was hard to find places where he could just enjoy the silence and be completely by himself, without anyone asking him for anything. 

So when he had gone to his normal spot and had seen someone leaning against a rock, he was wary at first. He was tempted to turn away, to just come back later, but he notices something covering the person, and he’d carefully walk closer to see the net. 

Taking the man in is shocking, to say the least. His eyes are closed, and his skin is too pale. He looks sickly. His dark hair is sticking to his face, and his chest is moving too shallowly, completely wrapped up in the net. He isn’t wearing a shirt. The real surprising thing, however, is his _tail_. It’s a beautiful, shimmery dark purple color, though it seems dry just by sight. 

Ren has to take a moment to be shocked, but he quickly realizes that if he’s not just seeing things- this man… (or merman?) is likely dying. He’s not very far from the water, but the way that he’s tangled in the net makes it obvious that he hadn’t been able to get free. Ren takes his keys, grabbing a part of the rope net that the boy isn’t actively tangled in, and he begins to start to cut through the rope with his keys. When he finally gets a fairly large gap open, he begins to start to untangle the man. It takes a few minutes, to get the net off of him, but he eventually does. The man’s eyes don’t open. 

Ren is just a bit more hesitant, in picking him up, because he isn’t sure he entirely knows _how to_ , but he would finally settle on a bridal style type of carry, just to get the man back to the water. Ren didn’t often interact with fish- it wasn’t a familiar touch, but he imagined that the man’s tail feels the same as if Ren were to touch a large fish. It was strange. 

Ren knew he was alive. His chest was still moving, though it was clearly difficult for the man to breathe. He felt warm. The man was no more than dead weight, up until the point that Ren had set him down in the water. 

Ren wasn’t sure exactly what the man needed. Clearly, being on land was hurting him, but he didn’t want to just throw him into the deep end- literally. He was worried that the man wouldn’t be able to come to quickly enough to avoid just being sucked up by the waves, or that he couldn’t actually breathe underwater. After all- Ren couldn’t see gills. 

Ren sets the man down in water that was no more than calf deep, crouching down to try to keep the man’s head above water, but just barely. He’s trying to watch the man, to try to tell what he should do. This wasn’t exactly something he’d ever be able to prepare himself for. 

The man’s tail moves, only a few seconds after being in the water- and while it does seem to be out of reflex, it does manage to drench Ren with a splash. Ren’s eyes close on instinct, and he no longer feels the man’s skin against his hand. He’s knocked over by a rush of water, landing on his ass in the sand, and drenching himself further. When Ren finally opens his eyes, at first he doesn’t see anything. 

And then, he does.

Just a bit further away from him, he sees the man- the top of his head coming out of the water. He can’t see below the man’s eyes, which are a very pretty, deep purple color, matching his tail. He’s watching Ren, but he almost seems to be cowering back, curiosity and fear obvious on his face. 

“Hello.” Ren speaks slowly, and carefully. He doesn’t move, staying in the water. He was already soaked, anyways. He wasn’t sure if the man would even be able to understand him. “I hope I didn’t scare you. I found you on the beach and I just wanted to try to help.”

The man disappears under the water for a long moment, and just as Ren has decided that he wasn’t going to come back, he’d slowly reappear, his head lifting just a bit further out of the water this time. He seems to be sitting, no closer to Ren, but he’s clearly tense, his eyes darting around. Ren thinks that he’s preparing himself to flee. 

“W-why are you here?” The man’s voice is hoarse and quiet. Ren isn’t sure if the tremble is from fear or from lack of use. While his head is the only thing above water, Ren notices his neck. He realizes why he hasn’t seen the gills- because they seem to be closing. Ren remembers a long while ago, reading about how certain ocean creatures retained the water so that they could stay on land for short periods of time without dying. He guesses that this is the same type of thing. 

“I come here sometimes because it’s quiet.” Ren keeps his voice soft. He’s careful to not move, not wanting to make the boy feel threatened. 

“Why did you help me?”

Ren’s eyebrows furrow. “You looked like you were dying, but I could tell you were still alive. It didn’t feel right to just… condemn you to death.”

“I’m not one of you.”

“That doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve to live.”

The man ducks his head lower again, only his eyes and the top of his head visible. Perhaps to hide whatever expression he was making. He’d finally lift his head again, just a bit, but his eyes are focused downwards and his voice is so soft that it’s hard to catch what he’s saying over the sound of the waves. “...Thank you.”

“Of course.” Ren smiles at him. It was hard to tell for sure, from the short discussion they’ve been having, but he just seems… scared. He seems nervous, and unsure, but Ren couldn’t sense any malice or aggression. “Are you alright? I’m not very familiar with…”

“I’m a mermaid.” The boy’s eyes wander again, and there’s some hesitation in his voice. He seems to be curled in on himself, a bit. “I… I wasn’t on land very long. I’m better, being in the water.”

“I’m glad.” Ren’s smile is wider, and it’s very genuine. 

“What is your name?”

“Ren.”

“Ren.” Tokiya repeats slowly. He ducks under the water for a second, and then comes back up. His face is hard to describe- but Ren settles on the word ‘shy’. “I’m Tokiya.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tokiya.”

“Have… have you ever met anyone like me?”

“I can’t say I have. This was… certainly a first.”

“You… you said you come here often?” Tokiya dips back under the water, but it doesn’t quite hide the bit of red dusting his cheeks. 

“I usually come about once a week.”

Tokiya seems to nod, but after a second of looking at Ren, he ducks back under the water. Ren gives it a few moments, but when Tokiya doesn’t resurface, Ren moves, to try to dry himself off as much as he can, but he’s still damp when he drives back. 

It’s a week later when he arrives back at the beach. He stays for a bit over an hour, not really expecting to see Tokiya again, but admittedly almost wishing that he would. When Ren decides that it’s time for him to head back, he’s stopped by the sound of a splash, and the feeling of the entirety of his back getting drenched. When he jumps, turning around, he sees Tokiya, almost completely under the water- but he’s so red that even his forehead seems to be a shade darker. 

“I’m sorry!” Tokiya hides under the water, and it takes him a long moment to resurface. When he does- Ren is still there. Tokiya is still red. “I didn’t mean to soak you.”

Ren smiles, which seems to surprise Tokiya. “That’s alright. You certainly got my attention.”

Tokiya is closer to Ren than he was last time. He seems to be about waist deep, just enough to hide himself underneath the water, though when he raises himself, he raises himself almost to his shoulders. Ren sits down on the sand. 

“Did…” A flash of fear crosses Tokiya’s face. “You didn’t tell anyone about me, did you?”

“I didn’t.” Ren reassures. “You don’t seem like the type that would enjoy becoming a spectacle.” 

Tokiya seems relieved. “If… I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anyone about me.”

“Of course.” 

Tokiya’s expression softens. “Thank you.”

Ren smiles at Tokiya. Tokiya still doesn’t seem at ease- but Ren was happy to see that he had approached Ren. Even if it was at the price of another wet drive home and another deep cleaning of his car. 

“If you don’t mind my asking- are you the only of your kind?” Ren tilts his head. 

Tokiya pauses for a long moment, his face clearly unsure. He lowers himself back down, so that the water touches his chin, and a melancholy look crosses his face. His voice is grim. “When I was younger I was with a group of my own kind. I was never a very strong swimmer… I’m still not. But a storm had come and the currents were stronger, and I wound up… here. I’m afraid to leave, because I don’t think I’d ever find my way back, or that I’d get caught up in different currents and get lost even further.”

Ren’s eyebrows draw in. “I’m sorry. I know how difficult it can be, to lose family. I’d never wish it on anyone.” His voice is soft. 

Tokiya stays silent for a long moment, and when he speaks again, his voice is vulnerable. “I haven’t talked to anyone in a long time. Hunters are normally the only kind of people that show up to this part of the beach.”

“Hunters?”

Tokiya ducks his head again, almost on impulse, but there’s an uncertain, childlike, scared expression. Ren thinks he can actually see tears in Tokiya’s eyes. He finally raises, slowly, but only enough to speak. “I tried to get help, when I first got lost. I saw someone and I thought they could help me find the others. They told me they could. I… they got close to me… they... “ Even with his body under the water, Ren can tell he’s curling in on himself. Tokiya isn’t looking at Ren. “They got me to trust them and they tried to kill me.” Tokiya sobs, and his hand moves to cover his mouth. He rubs his eyes with his wrist, hanging his head. Ren can hear the bitterness in his voice, but he thinks that Tokiya’s feelings are towards himself. “I might have even been able to swim back, if I had just trusted myself. But after I was hurt… I already wasn’t a strong swimmer, but now I’m even worse. I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Ren has to stay silent for a long moment, going through his own personal thoughts. The entire situation really did break his heart, and only furthered his point that Tokiya was just _scared_. The more Tokiya spoke, the more it hurt Ren- because he knew that Tokiya was nervous around Ren, but could only imagine how lonely Tokiya must be. And the cove wasn’t large, either- Tokiya must be stuck in this small area. “I’d like to be your friend, if you’d let me.” Ren says, his voice soft. 

Tokiya watches him, moving under the water to hide his expression as he considers. Ren maintains eye contact with him, as Tokiya watches him back. Finally, Tokiya nods. Ren gives him a gentle smile. 

Ren starts to visit the cove more. It’s moved to twice a week, and he spends longer periods of time. The very next time that he shows up, he’s in his bathing suit- which at first seems to make Tokiya nervous, but when Ren doesn’t actually get into the water, he relaxes. Ren would have explained that he was only in his bathing suit because driving home in wet clothes was uncomfortable. 

Eventually, the day comes where Tokiya ducks under the water, just looking at Ren, and Ren can tell that he’s going to ask Ren something. It had been some time since Tokiya had hid under the water while they spoke. Tokiya had already gotten much closer, choosing to lie on his stomach, almost at the edge of the water. Tokiya seems nervous. “If… If you want, you can come in the water. Unless you don’t want to get wet.” Tokiya had gotten better at not splashing Ren. Sometimes it still happened- and Tokiya really didn’t mean to, but sometimes when he swam in shallow water, it was unavoidable. 

Ren smiles at Tokiya. “If you’re comfortable with it, I’d love to.”

Tokiya smiles, too. It’s a small, shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. Ren didn’t get very many smiles from Tokiya, but every once in a while he would. It was nice, when it happened. Ren is careful, moving forward, but when he does, Tokiya doesn’t move back. Ren stops, leaving some distance between them, for Tokiya’s sake, but Tokiya chooses to turn, sitting in a position similar to Ren’s. 

Tokiya knew almost everything about Ren’s life, from the exciting to the mundane, because Tokiya didn’t have much to talk about. He’s explained how he lived to Ren- but it was unexciting, for a mystical creature. His own kind spoke the same language as the humans of this region, and he couldn’t actually speak to fish. For him, fish were the only food that he had- and that’s all he really viewed them as. He’s explained to Ren that he hasn’t had many chances to eat human food- but knew, from his first experience with the hunter, that he could. His existence was boring- swimming around the cove all day with nothing to do. Typically, Ren was the only thing that he looked forward to, because he enjoyed speaking with Ren. He didn’t remember much, from before he was trapped in the cove. 

Ren was an idol, though he felt he was getting towards the end of his run. He had told Tokiya about his family, and his fellow idol friends, and his hobbies. He spoke a lot about the outside world, explaining how certain things worked to Tokiya. Tokiya tells stories, about things that he’s heard about humans, and Ren tells him what is and isn’t fabricated. Eventually, as their visits increase, Ren starts immediately walking into the water, and he and Tokiya sit shoulder to shoulder. 

Tokiya explains, eventually, that he can survive on land for short periods of time. Breathing isn’t the difficult part, because he can retain the water he needs for up to an hour, but the difficulty comes from the sun, drying him out, and the difficulty to move on land. 

And then, one day, Ren walks onto the beach and sees another person. There’s no sign of Tokiya. 

Ren notices the knife, attached to the man’s hip- and he notices the net the man is setting up. It seems far too large to be catching any ordinary fish that are in this lake. Ren had seen some of them, and Tokiya had confirmed that all of the fish were fairly small fish- because Tokiya had explained that sometimes it was hard to catch them with how quick and small they were. 

Ren heads over. “I’m afraid there isn’t much to catch here.”

The man looks up, and he’d roll his eyes at Ren. “Get outta here, kid.”

“I believe this is a free area for anyone.” Ren’s answer is short. “And I believe that people are also free to swim here. I’m fairly sure that net threatens any swimmers here. And, of course, that knife is awfully dangerous to carry around. Setting up a net and carrying a weapon in a public area? I have to believe that would be enough to get the police to come investigate, should someone call it in.”

The man stiffens, glaring at Ren. “Ain’t anybody that comes around here, anyways.”

“Well I’m here. Clearly that proves you wrong.”

“You don’t know what you’re getting into, man.” The man is clearly trying to sound threatening, but Ren wouldn’t back down. 

“I normally don’t like to drop the idol card-” Ren crosses his arms, his jaw tightening. “But I’ll have you know that should anything happen to me, it isn’t just going to be overlooked. And more than a few people know where I am. If you don’t take down that net, I’m more than happy to call the police, and you can explain this, and your weapon, to the police. You can attack me, and swarm this area with more people, and make it far more well known- or you can just leave and we can pretend none of this ever happened. There are no other options.”

The man looks at Ren with a look of pure hatred for a very long moment, before he turns and leaves. He doesn’t take down the net, but he does head to a car, not parked far from Ren’s. Ren sits down on a rock, watching the man until he leaves, and even a while after that. Finally, when Ren is positive that the man is long gone, he turns to the net to begin taking it down. Ren pulls it out of the water, bundling it up and looking for a place to hide it. He doesn’t want the man to come back to just set it right back up. 

Tokiya still hasn’t shown himself, and it’s making Ren nervous. Ren moves to the water, and he sits down, just past the edge of the water. He does turn, to look around and make sure they really are alone, and when he turns back, he sees Tokiya- just barely peering over the edge of the water. He looks terrified. 

“It’s alright, Toki.” Ren’s voice is gentle. “He’s gone.” Ren’s eyebrows furrow. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Tokiya shakes his head, very carefully raising himself further in the water. “I-I’m sorry. Would you come closer?”

Tokiya was a bit further in than waist deep, but Ren nods, standing up and walking closer to Tokiya. He’s shocked when Tokiya rushes towards him, wrapping his arms around Ren, but Ren hugs him back tightly, rubbing Tokiya’s back. Tokiya buries his head in the crook of Ren’s neck, and he sobs. Ren can feel him shaking. For a very long moment, Ren just stays still, hugging Tokiya. 

In the time that Ren had known Tokiya, he had started to really care for him. More than he should. And knowing that Tokiya was in danger was bad enough- but _seeing_ it, and picturing what may have happened if Ren hadn’t been here genuinely scared Ren. 

“You helped me.” Tokiya’s voice is weak, and it breaks as he talks. 

“Of course I did. I’m not going to let them hurt you. I told you before that you deserve to live just as much as anyone else does.”

Tokiya gets really quiet, and he almost seems to cling onto Ren. His voice is extremely vulnerable, and it’s very hard to hear over the waves. Ren almost misses it. “...Is that the only reason?”

Ren freezes, but his grip eventually tightens around Tokiya’s waist. “No. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”

“I don’t know if it’s right, Ren, but I like you a lot.” Tokiya’s voice really breaks here. “You’ve… been the best and only friend I’ve had, Ren, I…” Tokiya hesitates. “Don’t know how to do this.”

“...I like you more than a friend as well, Toki.” Ren’s voice is very quiet, too. 

“...Is this when humans get married?” 

The genuineness of Tokiya’s questions makes Ren laugh, but he’d squeeze Tokiya, trying to make sure he doesn’t make Tokiya uncomfortable. His voice is gentle when he speaks. “I’m not laughing at you, Toki, I promise. But usually humans date first. Marriage comes far later- but you do have the right idea. Dating is a more temporary type of commitment, and that typically leads to marriage- which _should_ be a much, much longer commitment.”

“A temporary commitment?” Ren doesn’t see Tokiya’s frown. He does, however, feel Tokiya’s tail droop, just a bit. “But I want to give you a much longer commitment.” There’s an innocence in Tokiya’s voice that softens Ren’s expression. “Oh, uh… I’m sorry. We… we normally have lifelong mates. I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Tokiya cringes back, but Ren gently holds him. 

“It’s alright, Toki. There’s certainly going to be… adjustment.” Ren’s voice softens and turns sweet. “The only thing truly temporary about dating is that it almost always inevitably changes. It can end in a separation, I won’t lie- but almost every couple that gets married and stays married had a period of dating. When humans break up, it’s usually because they aren’t happy in the relationship- but that certainly doesn’t always happen. I think, in our situation, maybe we shouldn’t apply any labels.”

“What do you mean?” Tokiya has, at least, stopped trying to hide. He’s chosen, instead, to return to leaning into Ren. 

“Maybe we should meet in the middle and just… be together. We can just be you and me, and we can take things as they come.”

Ren feels Tokiya nod, when his chin lifts from Ren’s shoulder and relands softly. “There… Ren… I… we can’t have offspring.” 

That’s another point that takes Ren off guard, but he manages to keep in his surprised laugh this time. “We certainly don’t need to worry about that now, Toki. But it’s alright. There are plenty of people in relationships that can’t have children. They just stay in the relationship for their feelings.”

“I have those for you.” Tokiya confirms. It puts a very fond smile on Ren’s face. 

“I hope I’m not being too forward.” Ren’s voice is almost just a bit teasing- but it’s definitely bright, too. “But you’re adorable, Toki.”

“I’m not sure I see where that came from.” Ren can picture Tokiya’s blush in his head, and from the tone in Tokiya’s voice, he knows that there’s a blush. 

“To… to be a bit more serious.” Ren sighs, and he finally loosens his grip on Tokiya. Tokiya pulls away, but there’s a nervous expression. Ren brings up his hand, to wipe some of the barely drying tears off of Tokiya’s cheeks. “I don’t think that I scared that man away with any sense of permanency. I’m afraid that he’s going to be returning.” Ren’s eyebrows furrow, his expression worried. “With your permission, I’d like to start finding ways to try to keep you safe.”

“I… you have my permission but I don’t know how you’re going to find a way.” Tokiya’s voice is grim. “They’re persistent.”

“Stay away from the water front.” Ren says immediately. “I saw him hanging up a net towards the rocks.”

“I- I can but what about you?” Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow, and he frowns. “I won’t be able to tell who it is if I don’t reveal myself.”

“When I leave, pay attention to the shorts I’m wearing. When I come back, I’ll get into the water. I’ll just make sure I wear the same pair.” Tokiya slowly nods. “You’re going to be alright, Toki. I promise.” Ren presses a kiss to Tokiya’s forehead, and the almost wonderous look Tokiya gives Ren makes Ren’s expression softer. 

“Would you…. Would you do that again?” Tokiya asks. Normally, Tokiya’s voice sounded serious, and reflected just how old he was- but sometimes, when he was faced with things he wasn’t used to, he gets an innocence in his voice that makes Ren’s chest feel warmer. Ren cradles Tokiya’s face in his hands, and he leans forward, pressing his lips against Tokiya’s forehead. He only holds it for about a second longer than the first, but Tokiya closes his eyes. Ren’s thumb brushes over Tokiya’s jaw, and an adoring smile makes its way onto Ren’s face. 

“I know I’ve just said this-” Ren muses. “But you really are adorable.”

Tokiya goes red, but Ren’s smile reassures him that it really is a good thing. He’d give Ren an awkward smile, and Ren laughs, a bright, happy sound. Ren laughs harder when he’s suddenly splashed, though Tokiya looks extremely embarrassed. 

“Ah! I’m sorry!” Tokiya’s blush has gone to the tips of his ears down all the way to his shoulders. His tail had moved, but the water was shallow enough that when it had, it had managed to cover both Ren and Tokiya with water. Ren’s grin is bright. 

“There’s no need to be, Toki.” Ren’s voice turns teasing. “I’m glad to see you’re happy. I think it’s cute.”

“You certainly have a fixation with telling me that I’m cute.” 

“Well, you are. But I can start getting more creative if you want me to.” 

“Maybe not today. I’m not sure I can take many more compliments-” Tokiya looks away, though he glances back at Ren’s face, and then back away. “ _...handsome?_ ”

Ren laughs again, another good natured laugh. “You’re doing great.” His voice is very fond. 

Ren spends a bit more time with Tokiya, but he does eventually have to leave. As soon as he’s home, he starts trying to figure out ways to keep Tokiya safe. His very first idea was to see if there was a way to buy the cove- but unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. He had, however, managed to find a nearby, empty beach house. It wasn’t very expensive, and it was very close to the cove. 

Ren had gone back to the cove the very next day, careful to wear the same pair of shorts he had worn yesterday. He was glad to see that Tokiya wouldn’t reveal himself until he seemed to be sure that it was Ren. He’d see, a bit of a distance away, Tokiya’s head pop up, just the top of his head and his eyes showing. Ren smiles at him. Tokiya disappears under the water again, and only a few seconds later, Ren feels arms around his waist, Tokiya’s head resting against Ren’s stomach. Ren’s hand lands on the top of Tokiya’s head, moving only when Tokiya lifts. 

“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” Tokiya blinks, looking surprised. “It hasn’t already been a week, has it?”

“It hasn’t.” Ren assures. “But I’ve been trying to move quickly. I’d rather fix this issue sooner, rather than later.”

“Did… did you find something?” The surprise hasn’t diminished. 

“Maybe.” Ren’s expression turns far more serious. “I found a house, near here. It’s right on the edge of the water. I… I tried to figure out how to claim this part of the land- to make it illegal to trespass near you, but the other property was the best I could do. I haven’t bought it yet, because I needed to ask you something before I could.”

Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow. “What is it?”

“It’s less than a mile away from here- but the point of buying it would be to watch over you. I wanted to ask if you if you think you’d be able to travel over there.”

Tokiya seems nervous, almost immediately. “That’s not an easy travel. I couldn’t make it back and forth…”

Ren’s voice turns gentle. “I’m suggesting you relocate, Toki. To swim over there to stay over there. If you want to stay here, I can try to figure something else out-”

“Oh.” Tokiya’s eyes are just a bit wide, but his face relaxes. “It’s… it is going to be a bit difficult, but if the water is calm enough, I should be able to make it.”

“It’s not much- and I doubt that I could swim the entire way with you, but I could at least walk near the water, if that would make you feel better.”

Tokiya nods. “It would.” Tokiya seems to hesitate, for just a second, and then his hands rest on Ren’s shoulders, and he moves, pressing his lips to Ren’s forehead. It’s a bit awkward, but Ren appreciates the gesture. Ren smiles. 

“I’ll look more into buying the place tonight. It was empty and for sale when I checked it.”

“This… I don’t really know much about money, but I know you have a job- you told me this is very far from your job.” Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow. 

“It’s alright.” Ren reassures. “I’m nearing the end of my idol career- which means that I’ve got plenty of money in the bank, and I won’t need to travel much. I’ll just wrap it up for now, and worry about anything else that I need to later.”

Tokiya’s expression darkens. “I don’t want to ruin your life Ren.”

Ren moves, pressing short, soft kisses on Tokiya’s face. His forehead, his cheeks, the tip of his nose. “You’re not. Everything that I’m doing, I’m doing because I want to do it, Toki.”

“...If you’re sure.”

“I am. Completely and entirely.”

Ren spends a decent amount of time with Tokiya, and when he finally gets home, he immediately gets to his laptop. 

It only takes two weeks to actually get the house- between paying it off _in full_ , being _Ren Jinguji_ , and how out of the way and unsought the house was, it wasn’t difficult. Selling his current apartment would take a bit longer, but Ren can live in the other house while it’s being sold. Ren had already started to wrap up his career- which isn’t very difficult, because he had already been on the way out. 

Ren really wouldn’t have taken very much originally. Just what he had needed for then, and what fits in his car. He’d make a few trips back before the apartment was sold, but he had found two nets strung up in the span of the last two weeks, and it genuinely scared him. Both times, he had felt panicked, and an insane amount of relief when Tokiya had appeared. Tokiya had been just as terrified as Ren both times that it happened. 

Ren parks his car out of the way, behind the house, when he arrives. He doesn’t want to make it obvious that there _is_ someone here, because he’d rather have the hunters think that Tokiya was still at the cove. If they figure out that he’s moved- then Ren will make it very clear that one foot on his property would have him calling the police.

Ren walks the mile back to the cove, taking the route near the water. He had changed into his swim suit- the same pair of shorts he always wore. Ren was relieved to find that he could walk the entire way without leaving the water. He was sure that Tokiya would appreciate it, too.

Ren’s heart stops when he gets to the water, and he notices another net- this one in an entirely new location. Even though he has every intention to bring Tokiya with him- he’d still move to release the net, but he stills when he’s close. When he gets to the net, he notices fingers, reaching through the net, and it spurs him to move faster. 

Thank God that Ren had come when he had. Who knows when the hunters would be back. 

Ren is fast, undoing the net, and seeing the blurry vision of Tokiya, curled in on himself inside of the net, breaks Ren’s heart. He’s reminded of when he had found Tokiya, but he’s relieved that Tokiya is at least under the water this time. Ren’s able to free him easier. There’s a heat in his stomach of pure rage, and he really would have stayed the entire night, had he not been relocating Tokiya right now. Ren is careful, pulling Tokiya closer, when he’s out of the net, but he would, holding onto Tokiya. Tokiya clings back to him. 

Ren’s mouth lands near Tokiya’s ear, and his anger is barely hidden. “We’re leaving today, baby. This isn’t going to happen again.”

“Ren-” Tokiya’s voice trembles. He lets out a sob, and it takes a moment for Tokiya to get himself together. “You have to be careful. They were talking about you- about what they’d do if they saw you-” Tokiya’s fear is palpable. 

“They won’t.” Ren reassures quietly. “We’re both going somewhere safer. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.” 

“I just want to go now.” Tokiya’s voice is almost a whimper. Ren presses a kiss to the top of Tokiya’s head. 

“Then we’ll go. There’s a path the entire way for me, but I’ll stay in the water with you as long as I can.”

Ren ends up almost carrying Tokiya for the first part of the trip, but when the water gets too deep for Ren, he moves onto the land, Tokiya swimming beside him. 

The house is a bit far from the ocean- easily within sight, but still a few minutes of a walk to get into the house. Ren had bought a few things in preparation, which included an umbrella, primarily, and a picnic table. They’d be far enough from the road to be too obvious, and at least he’d be able to spend more time comfortably with Tokiya. He hadn’t set them up yet, but the sun was already starting to get lower. He wouldn’t need either right now. 

They finally reach the house, and Tokiya pops his torso out of the water to look at it. “It’s big.” Tokiya says, his voice a bit surprised. “I was expecting something much… tinier.”

Ren smiles. “It’s definitely a bit big. Maybe a little too big- but it’s the perfect solution, I hope.” Ren can see Tokiya’s eyes, darting almost curiously to the ocean space near them. It’s much smaller than the cove, unfortunately, but there’s still excitement in Tokiya’s eyes. It is still a new location. “Go explore, babe.” Ren’s smile is fond. “I don’t mind.” 

Tokiya hesitates for a second, but the curiosity wins, and he dives underneath the water. Ren sits down on the beach, cross legged in the sand, and a few minutes later, Tokiya reappears, a bright expression in his eyes. “There’s coral!” Ren manages to dodge Tokiya’s splash from Tokiya’s excited tail movements. He flashes a quick, awkward, apologetic smile, but his excitement wins out in the end. “And the fish are so colorful! There’s a lot more of them here, too. And there’s a lot less seaweed-” Tokiya trails off, and his smile turns sheepish. “I suppose that this probably doesn’t mean much to you.”

Ren tilts his head, but there’s still a soft expression on his face. “I may not be able to appreciate the scenery- but I can certainly appreciate your enthusiasm. I’m very, very happy to hear how excited you are about this, my love.”

Tokiya’s face goes bright red at the nickname, but a large smile spreads across his face. “Will you come closer?”

Ren does, climbing into the water, and Tokiya launches himself at Ren, Tokiya’s arms wrapped around Ren’s neck, and Ren catches him by the waist. Tokiya brushes his nose against Ren’s with a bright, closed eye smile. Ren had taught Tokiya the eskimo kiss a while ago, and Tokiya had really taken a liking to it. 

When Tokiya pulls back, Ren still keeps his hands on Tokiya’s waist, and there’s a _very_ adoring look on his face. “Can I kiss you, Toki?”

Tokiya tilts his head for a second, and then his smile returns, as well as the blush. Tokiya nods. 

Ren leans in, slowly, and he’s very careful when he presses his lips to Tokiya’s. Tokiya doesn’t respond, but he presses himself closer. Ren doesn’t close his eyes, to make sure Tokiya isn’t uncomfortable- but Tokiya doesn’t close his eyes either. It takes a second, but Tokiya does try to kiss Ren back, though his inexperience is obvious. When Ren pulls back, he smiles at Tokiya. 

“I’m… sorry. I didn’t do very well, did I?” Tokiya frowns. 

Ren kisses his forehead. “Don’t be sorry, baby. Very few first kisses are very graceful. You did very good.”

Tokiya glances up, noticing the darkening sky, and then he looks almost concerned. “Wait, don’t you have to leave?”

“Kicking me out already?” Ren’s smile turns teasing. “I live here now, baby. No more once a week for a few hours. I’ll be here whenever you want me.”

“I-” Tokiya looks away, and his blush this time is a different kind of embarrassment. “That’s right. You told me that, too…”

“You’re used to me leaving. It’s nothing to be embarrassed by.”

Tokiya pulls himself closer, resting his head on Ren’s shoulder. “You’re always so warm.” Tokiya mumbles. “It’s nice.”

Ren chuckles, his arms tightening around Tokiya. “I try.” He jokes. They stand there for some time, but eventually Ren does have to leave the water. He promises to return the first thing the next morning. 

And he does. 

Seeing Tokiya everyday is nice- and it’s clear that it makes both of them happy. 

Unfortunately, the initial honeymoon period passes, and Tokiya notices movement on the beach- too much of it, near Ren’s house. Ren wasn’t home, but it was clear, when you got near the house, that it was livid in. Tokiya had tried to be secretive, but one of the hunters manage to catch sight of him before he can duck back under the water. Tokiya swims close enough to the edge to hear their discussion, though he’s fully prepared to book it further out if they get closer.

“It’s here. I’m guessin’ that other guy is, too.”

“We’re not going to catch it with the man living on the property.” One of the men sounds displeased. “I say we come back and take care of him, first. Then catching it won’t be an issue.”

“Yeah. C’mon, we should get outta here before he comes back, then.”

Their voices fade as they speak, and a feeling of fear rushes over Tokiya. Tokiya swims further back, to get in a position to watch the men leave. He glances up, trying to judge the timing- because he had gotten good at telling around when Ren would usually come home. He’d wait until he was sure Ren was just about to, and he’d swim to the edge. He’d duck under the water, to take a deep breath, and then he’d move, going onto the sand. He’d make it all the way to Ren’s back porch before his arms finally give out. He had hoped to make it further, but he hadn’t realized how hot the sun was that day. 

Ren gets back, unlocking the front door. When he’s in, he thinks he hears something- a banging, towards the back door, and he cautiously heads towards the back, trying to subtly move the curtains towards the back window, hoping that whoever, or whatever, it was wouldn’t notice him. 

He thinks his heart actually stops when he sees Tokiya, completely covered in sand and looking just as pale as he had the first day Ren found him. The door is open less than a second later, and Ren’s expression is horrified. 

“Ren-” Tokiya’s voice is hoarse, but Ren shakes his head, cutting him off. Ren picks him up, but Tokiya looks like he’s in a terrible shape, and the sun was still beating down outside. Ren takes Tokiya inside, heading into the bathroom. 

“This isn’t a very good solution, but it’s the best idea I have right now.” Ren sounds incredibly stressed, and even in his weakened state, Tokiya can see the worry. Ren carefully sets Tokiya down in the bathtub, reaching down towards the end of his tail to block the tub, and he turns on the faucet. He tries to watch Tokiya, to see if the temperature is bothering him, but it doesn’t seem to be. Ren wishes his tub was bigger, because Tokiya’s fins are still entirely out of the tub, but he doesn’t want to risk dragging Tokiya down to the water in the state he’s in now. Ren gives it a moment, letting the tub almost completely fill before he finally stops the water. Tokiya sinks down in it for a moment, and Ren can see his gills flare. When he sits back up, he pulls in as much of his tail as he can. 

“I know you’re unhappy with me-” Tokiya starts, and he looks so genuinely guilty that Ren’s chest constricts. “But I need to tell you something first. The hunters figured out where we are, but they’re coming back later to try to hurt you.” Tokiya’s eyes fill with tears. “I needed to tell you because I don’t know when they’re coming back.”

Ren’s expression softens, and he reaches out, his hand resting against Tokiya’s cheek for just a second. “I’m going to be right back. I’m just going to go relock the doors.” Ren squeezes Tokiya’s arm. He moves, out of the bathroom, checking the doors and the windows, and drawing the blinds. Before he returns to Tokiya, he picks up the phone, calling the police. 

The call is quick and smooth. Ren tells them that he had seen two suspicious figures on his private property, and through the window had heard that they planned to come back later and he believes that he’s in danger. They promise to send a police officer to guard the area. 

Ren is going to have to speak to the officer, but while he waits, he returns to Tokiya. 

“I appreciate the warning, baby- but I don’t want you in danger, either.” Ren takes Tokiya’s hand from the tub, to lift it, kissing the back of it. “Is it going to be dangerous, to keep you in here for a few hours?”

“It’s harder… with the limited water that isn’t saltwater.” Tokiya admits quietly. “I’ll be okay, but I’ll need to switch the water out.” Tokiya’s expression turns guiltier. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much of a burden I’d be.”

Ren leans forward, his nose brushing Tokiya’s, his voice a mumble. “You’re not a burden. Changing the water won’t be hard, darling. I don’t mind at all. I’m sure you can’t be comfortable- and I’m sorry about that, but it would give me some peace of mind to have you near me during all of this.”

Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow, watching Ren. He blinks, trying to blink away tears. “I… Ren, I don’t want us to have temporary partnership.” The vulnerability on his face keeps Ren listening intently. “I want you to be my life partner. I… want to marry you?” 

Ren’s smile is very soft, and his laugh is almost tearful. “Toki, I have no intentions of leaving you, or being with anyone but you. I promise.” Ren leans forward, his forehead resting against Tokiya’s. “I love you.”

“I love you.” Tokiya repeats it slowly, but firmly. “I don’t think I’ve ever used that word before. But I mean it.”

Tokiya jumps when there’s a knock on the door, but Ren gives him a reassuring smile. “I called for help. It’s alright. But I need to go speak to them. I’ll be right back, I promise.”

Tokiya nods as Ren heads out, and Ren opens the door to a police officer. Ren explains the situation again, and the officer tells him that he’s going to watch from a bit out of the way, to see if the men come back. 

Ren spends the rest of the night by Tokiya’s side. He has to change the water three times, and it’s just after the third time when there’s another knock on the door. 

The police officer has returned, to let Ren know that two people had been caught. Ren assured that he wants to press charges for trespassing on private property, and the officer gives him the information he needs for the claim, as well as makes the report. The officer tells Ren that he’s going to stay the rest of the night, to be safe, but if nothing else happens he’ll leave in the morning. Ren thanks the officer before heading back into the bathroom. 

Tokiya is watching Ren closely, and Ren settles back besides the tub and explains the situation to Tokiya. 

“I should get you back to the ocean.” Ren mumbles. “But the officer is still going to be here for a while.”

“And you look exhausted, my love.” Tokiya’s pet name comes a bit slowly, but the hesitance is easily overshadowed by the worry on Tokiya’s face. “Please get some rest.”

“The water-” 

“I can change it. I’m feeling much better, thanks to you- I can replace the water when I need to.”

Ren hesitates, but he gets up. Tokiya wonders just how tired he was- to not even say goodnight, but before he can start to feel guilty, Ren returns, holding a pillow and a blanket. Ren settles the pillow next to the tub, lying down on the bathmat. 

“Is… that comfortable?” Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow. “I thought humans slept in beds.”

“It can’t be any more uncomfortable than you are right now, baby. I’ll be alright.” 

Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow, but when Ren lies down, Tokiya repositions his arm, his hand resting in Ren’s hair. Ren smiles, already a sleepy smile, and it spurs Tokiya on to leave his hand there. 

Throughout the night, Tokiya changes his water. 

It’s later the next morning, and the day is even hotter than yesterday. It’s likely safe to carry Tokiya back, but after a short discussion, Tokiya insisted that he would be okay to stay in the tub until night time. 

It’s the afternoon, when Ren starts asking about food. 

“I’m supposed to eat about three times a day.” Ren comments, still resting on his bathroom floor. “How often do you eat?”

“Whenever I’m hungry.” Tokiya admits. “But I’d guess it’s around that. Three times a day.”

“And you said you can eat human food?” Ren clearly seems to be planning something, but Tokiya nods. “I have an idea.” Ren hums, and he’d smile at Tokiya. He takes out his phone, and Tokiya tilts his head. 

“What are you doing?” He moves, leaning over the edge of the tub to watch Ren. 

“I’m ordering food. They’ll just bring it to me.”

“Huh.” Tokiya watches, fascinated. This wasn’t the first time of the day. Ren had shown Tokiya a movie on his phone earlier, and Ren can’t remember if he had even seen Tokiya blink during it. Tokiya’s insight on the movie, afterwards, was extremely interesting, too- even though Ren did have to answer quite a few questions for Tokiya during it. 

It doesn’t take very long for there to be a knock on the door, and Ren moves to go take the food. He’d just bring the entire bag into the bathroom. 

Tokiya had told him before that he had eaten fish- and if Ren could, he would have gotten fish from the water, but he didn’t know how he’d do that. So, he went with his next best guess, which had been sushi. 

“I know you said you can eat human food, but if you’d rather just take off the fish, we can do that.” 

Tokiya almost perks up when Ren mentions fish, looking curiously at the bag. 

Ren had ordered entirely too much food- several plates of sushi and quite a few orders of different types of nigiri. He had gotten a few rolls without any type of fish for himself, but the majority of it did have fish. Ren takes it out, separating his own rolls from what he had gotten Tokiya. 

“I think you’re going to prefer this- but I’ve gotten quite a few different types. There’s not a _lot_ of fish on these, but with everything combined, I hope it should be okay.” 

Tokiya watches him curiously, but Ren takes out one type of the nigiri, setting it on the tub. “I’ll admit, I forget what kind of fish it is.” Ren gives a sheepish grin. “But it’s fish, rice and seaweed.” Tokiya makes a face at the mention of seaweed, but Ren can’t help the smile, watching Tokiya. “You don’t have to eat it, but it’s a different kind of seaweed, babe.”

Tokiya does try it, taking a bite of it. His eyebrows furrow, seemingly thinking it over. After a second, he takes off the strip of seaweed and finishes the nigiri. Ren smiles at him. “When you finish that plate, I have more if you want it. Most people usually eat more than just one plate.” 

Tokiya nods, taking the seaweed off of the second piece before he tries it. Ren opens a packet of soy sauce, putting it in the corner of his plate to eat with his rolls- his are just vegetables, rice and avocado. Ren notices that Tokiya’s nigiri, sans the seaweed strips, are gone, but Tokiya is watching Ren’s food with a strange intensity that gives Ren an amused smile. “What’s up, Toki?”

“What is that?”

“The roll?”

“The… dark liquid.”

Ren’s amused smile only grows, and he chuckles. “It’s soy sauce. It goes well with the sushi. Do you want to try some?” Tokiya nods, and Ren digs through the bag to take out one of the small containers full of it, uncapping it and setting it carefully on the edge of the tub. Luckily, as Ren reaches to grab Tokiya more sushi, he catches Tokiya, lifting the container. Ren stops him before he gets it too close to his mouth. “Toki?” Tokiya pauses, glancing at Ren, and Ren’s eyebrow raises. His voice is gentle. “Toki, babe, you dip the sushi in the sauce.”

Tokiya goes red, the color spreading to his ears. He slowly sets down the container, with a mumble. “I knew that.”

Ren smiles, but for Tokiya’s sake, he doesn’t say anything. He does, however, reach out to gently squeeze Tokiya’s shoulder. “What kind of roll do you want with it? I have some that are like mine, but with fish, and I have some more of the kind that you just ate.”

Tokiya seems to focus on Ren’s rolls, and while he does pause for a long second, he finally glances at Ren. “Can I try one of yours?”

“Of course you can.” Ren picks one up, to offer it to Tokiya. “But this one doesn’t have any fish.”

Tokiya nods, taking the roll from Ren, and staring at the sauce. 

“Here.” Ren takes it back, and he dips part of it into the sauce, tapping it against the edge of the container to get rid of the excess. “Open your mouth.” Tokiya does, a bit hesitantly, but Ren feeds him the sushi roll. Tokiya’s eyebrows furrow as he chews it. 

Tokiya’s nose crinkles. “I don’t like the sauce.”

Ren chuckles, running his fingers through Tokiya’s still slightly damp hair before he takes the container off of the tub. “That’s alright. It’s an… acquired taste, I think. Do you want me to give more of the nigiri?” Ren taps the empty plate on the side of the tub, and Tokiya nods. 

“Please.”

Tokiya ends up trying a few of the fish rolls, and eats most of the nigiri. Without the seaweed, he seems to really enjoy it. He even manages to get over some of the seaweed in the rolls, but Ren thinks that it’s because it’s a pain to take the seaweed out of them. Ren notices Tokiya’s tail move, just slightly, and Tokiya’s fascinated face is enough to make Ren start thinking of more opportunities to share things like this with Tokiya. It really is heartwarming. 

Later that night, Ren carries Tokiya back to the ocean. When Tokiya resurfaces, he’s frowning, just a bit. Ren crouches down. “What’s wrong?”

Ren can see Tokiya’s tail moving- and he imagines it’s something like stretching. “It’s nice to have room, but I think I’m going to miss being inside with you.”

Ren’s face softens. “I’ll be back out to visit you, as soon as I wake up.”

Tokiya stays silent, but even in the dark, Ren can see a darker expression cross Tokiya’s face. 

“What’s on your mind, my love?” 

“...I’ve never really considered being anything but what I am. In everything I’ve ever wished for- it never really changed _me_. But now, more than ever, I wish I was human, like you. I wish that we could walk back together. That it didn’t have to be you, joining me, and that I could join you, too.”

“It’s… not easy.” Ren frowns. He moves, crouching down where the water reaches his ankles. Tokiya moves forward, lying on his stomach in the sand. Ren reaches out, to cup Tokiya’s face with one hand. “But we’ve been making this work, and we’ll keep making this work. There are going to be things we’re never going to be able to experience- but I love you, Tokiya. With all of my heart.” Ren’s smile can be seen clearly, even in the dark. “And we’re life partners, remember?” The teasing tone in his voice is barely teasing. “I love you for you, Toki. And being with you is enough, and it always is going to be, even if we can’t have a… conventional relationship.”

Tokiya’s voice is a bit dry. “You mean because you’re dating a fish?”

Ren sighs, his smile a bit weaker. “A very _intelligent_ fish.” Ren leans forward kissing Tokiya. “You know I’m joking, baby. And I know you aren’t. You may be a mermaid, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re incredibly smart, and your feelings are just as real and valid as anyone else’s. Species doesn’t matter in this case, Toki- you’re a _person_. My decision is to be with you, and your decision is to be with me. We’ve both made this of our own accord, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Tokiya leans his head against Ren’s leg, closing his eyes. He sighs, but the look he gives Ren when he looks up is intense. “I love you, Ren.”

“I love you, Toki.”

Ren had thought that they had taken care of the hunters. He hadn’t gone back to work for two weeks, just to make sure that everything really was done. So when he had gone to work, one of his very last days of going, he hadn’t expected all of the _blood_. There’s a decent amount on the sand, but there’s a concentrated spot, further in the water, with the red tint rising to the top. Ren doesn’t hesitate to move into the water, still fully clothed, trying to find Tokiya. 

Ren’s eyes burn, from the salt water, but he keeps them open anyways. He sees Tokiya, far deeper on the bottom in the deeper part of the water, and it’s clear to see that he’s in pain and that he’s terrified. Ren can’t tell where he’s hurt, because he’s tucked in on himself so tightly, but he can tell that the blood is definitely coming from him. Tokiya is watching Ren, but he seems frozen. Ren can feel his lungs burn, but when he reaches for Tokiya, Tokiya clings to him, letting Ren raise him. Ren has to take a few deep breaths, and it’s hard to swim and hold onto Tokiya, but he’d take another deep breath, moving to water he can stand in. He’s holding onto Tokiya as tightly as he feels comfortable doing, still unsure exactly where Tokiya was hurt. Tokiya is crying too hard to speak to Ren, but Ren notices that even after he had picked Tokiya up, the bottom of his tail is tucked underneath him. 

“I want to help you, baby, but I need to at least know where you’re hurt.”

Tokiya whimpers, and it’s clearly difficult for him to form thoughts or speak words- but he does, eventually, manage a sentence. “They cut off my fin.”

Ren’s eyes widen, glancing down at Tokiya’s tail- but Tokiya’s still hiding the injured part from Ren’s sight. “I…” Ren pauses, unsure of exactly what to do. He never thought that this would be a situation he’d be a part of. “I’m going to try to bandage it, alright? It’s still bleeding really heavily.”

“Don’t leave.” Tokiya begs, clinging tighter to Ren. “Please don’t leave me.”

Ren’s eyebrows draw in, a pained look crossing his face. “Alright, baby, I won’t. Can I bring you inside? I know the tub isn’t comfortable, but I have to do something for you.”

“Okay.” Tokiya curls tighter into Ren. “Okay.”

Ren moves very quickly. He can’t tell what’s water and what’s blood- he just knows that he’s leaving trails behind himself and inside, but he can’t bother to care right now. He’s very gentle, setting Tokiya in the tub, and he’s quick to start to fill it. 

“I need to see your tail, baby.” Ren is gentle, rubbing Tokiya’s side, but he does move to reach into the cabinet under the sink, taking out a first aid kit. Ren manages to keep the horrified expression off of his face when Tokiya straightens his tail, but it’s a gruesome sight. The purple is stained with red, half way up his tail, and one of his two fins had clearly been cut off- the slice too clean for a rip. 

“It hurts, Ren.” Tokiya wipes at his eyes, his upper half sinking deeper into the tub. 

“I know, baby, I’m sorry. It’s going to hurt when I bandage it.” His last sentence is a warning. 

Ren isn’t sure exactly how to care for a _mermaid_ , but he disinfects and bandages the tail. It hurts, hearing Tokiya howl when Ren has to clean it, but he stays focused, trying to make it quick. 

Finally, Ren gets Tokiya bandaged, but Tokiya is still clearly in pain. Ren carefully cleans the blood off of Tokiya’s tail, and then replaces the now pink water. Ren looks at Tokiya, his voice soft. “I have some weak painkillers, but I’m scared to give you anything your body can’t handle.”

“I want to try.” Tokiya’s voice is strained. “Please.”

Ren nods, going to the medicine cabinet. The best he had was ibuprofen, left over from an old toothache. He was still nervous to give it to Tokiya- but he could only imagine that losing a fin was probably like losing a foot- and Tokiya was clearly in a lot of pain. Ren ends up giving him one pill- the same dose that Ren had taken. Ren gives it to Tokiya. 

“You just swallow it. Usually I’d drink it with water, because it can be awkward and dry. Do-” 

Tokiya had just taken it, and Ren trails off, having gotten his answer. “If it works alright, I can give you another one in a few hours, if it helps. I need to go get in dry clothes, Toki- will you be okay?”

Tokiya swallows hard, but he nods. 

“I’ll be right back. I promise.”

Ren is very fast with changing, simply throwing his wet and bloodied clothes in the bath. He does stop, to lock both doors, and to grab his phone. He had forgotten to charge it last night, and had simply left it at home. Looking at his drenched clothes, it may have been the right choice. He doubts that he would have removed it when he had jumped in.

He goes back to the bathroom, lying down towels to sit on. The pill does seem to have taken some affect, because Tokiya’s crying has almost stopped, though he does look sleepy. 

“I’ll let you get some rest.” Ren says, keeping his voice soft. “But I do want to know what happened.”

Tokiya brings up his hand, to rub tiredly at his eyes. “One of the hunters came back. I think it was a third one- one that hadn’t showed up. I tried to get away but he managed to catch my tail. I don’t think that he thought I could get away without my fin, but I got far enough to keep him back. I think you scared him, when you came home.” Tokiya pauses. “I’m… sorry. I really need to sleep. Would… would you mind changing the water in a little bit?” Tokiya’s expression is almost a bit desperate- not that Ren would ever tell him no. Especially not with this. “I have to keep my head underwater while I sleep, but that just means I really can’t stay in the same water.”

“Of course I will, Toki. Get some rest.”

Ren would watch over him. He’d change the water three times before Tokiya wakes up. As Tokiya is stirring, Ren orders food. Tokiya wakes up before the food gets here. Ren pets through Tokiya’s hair when he resurfaces. “Are you okay?”

“It really hurts.” Tokiya says quietly. “The pill helped but I think it’s why I was so tired.”

“If it gets too bad, I’d rather have you sleeping a lot than being in a lot of pain.” 

“It’s not bad enough to be worth it, yet.” 

“I ordered sushi.” Ren’s smile is weighed down, by exhaustion and worry. “If you’re not hungry, we can save it for when you are.”

“I can eat.” Tokiya’s voice is a bit weak, but he manages a smile, too. Ren notices tears in Tokiya’s eyes, and he sets his arm on the edge of the tub, to hold onto Tokiya’s hand without making his reach. 

“Are you sure the pain isn’t that bad?” Ren’s worry is much more evident now. 

Tokiya looks down, away from Ren, but particularly away from his tail. “It’s… not really that. I just… I don’t know that I’m ever going to be able to swim again, Ren. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

“I’ll help you.” Ren assures quietly. There’s a bit of bittersweetness there. He knows that Tokiya had been in danger where he had been- but Tokiya was in danger, here, too. Obviously. Ren had tried to protect him, but they still wound up in this position. “It will work this time. It has to. I promise. Even if I have to stay by you every minute of every day.”

“This isn’t your fault, Ren. Please don’t tell me you think it is.” Tokiya’s eyebrows draw in. “These hunters have been after me long before you showed up. If it weren’t for you- I wouldn’t be hurt… I’d be dead. Ren- I should have died, that day you found me. You’ve done everything you could and more.”

“I know for a fact that you’re desirable-” Ren’s smile is still a bit grim, and the teasing tone doesn’t quite come across right. It’s sad, and tired. “But I just wish that it was in a different way. At least to them.”

There’s a knock on the door, and Ren kisses Tokiya’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, after I grab our food.”

“Please be careful.” Tokiya says immediately, worry evident in his voice. 

“I will be. I promise.”

Tokiya doesn’t eat very much, but he tries his best. Tokiya is clearly still tired- and it’s especially obvious when he starts to eat his nigiri with the seaweed still on. Ren takes the other pieces after that and takes the seaweed off for him, and Tokiya gives him a weak smile. Tokiya had gotten just a bit red, not as much as he usually had, but that’s likely just from his pain and exhaustion. 

“Ren?” 

“Hmm?”

“Would you feed me again?” 

Ren’s smile does come a bit more genuinely- a bit softer. A bit less tired. “Of course I will.”

Two days pass, and Ren continuously changes the water, and he cleans and rebandages Tokiya’s tail two more times. Ren gets into his bathing suit on the second night, to bring Tokiya back to the ocean. 

Ren wasn’t overly fond of leaving Tokiya, and Tokiya wasn’t fond of being away from Ren- but Tokiya can’t live in the bathtub. Especially not with his injury. 

Tokiya seems scared, to go into the water. Ren walks with him, going into waist deep water, never letting go of him, but instead slowly lowering Tokiya into the water. 

Tokiya does try to swim, but a grimace of pain flashes across his face. Ren can’t stop him before he’s started to continue trying, but even under the water Ren can tell that Tokiya is having trouble. It seems to be a difficult task to just raise himself back above water. Ren moves, to help hold him up. Tokiya’s clearly on the verge of tears, and he shakes his head. “I can’t swim straight, Ren. I don’t- I… I… I want to go back inside.” Tokiya clings to Ren, almost like he’s afraid that Ren’s going to let him go. 

“We can go back inside.” Ren’s voice is gentle. “It’s too much to expect you to just be able to move easily again. We can go slowly, okay? I’ll start bringing you out some days and we can practice.”

“But what if I get caught in the current?” 

Ren kisses Tokiya’s forehead, to smooth out his expression. “You won’t. I won’t let you.”

That night, they both sleep in the bathroom again. Ren has to leave the room in the morning, and Tokiya can’t quite hear what he’s talking about- but Ren had told him that he’d be making a few phone calls. He’d assure Tokiya that it was nothing Tokiya needed to worry about. 

There was something else that Ren introduces to Tokiya- books. Ren had explained that he couldn’t bring them underwater, but Tokiya seemed to really like them. Ren would have had to hide his smile behind his hand when Tokiya would have held the book straight up in the air above his head as he ducks his head underwater to take a breath. It was charming. 

And a little bit dorky, but Ren liked it. Tokiya certainly had taken to books. 

Later that night, Ren tries to bring Tokiya outside again, but Tokiya ends up clinging to Ren the entire time, and Ren doesn’t have the heart to force Tokiya to try to swim. They end up heading back inside before Tokiya really tries to practice. 

The next day, a package arrives. Ren kisses Tokiya’s forehead, though Tokiya is already absorbed in the book he’s reading. “I’ll be right back.”

That does get Tokiya’s attention. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes.” Ren assures. “I promise.”

Tokiya watches Ren, but Ren just smiles and walks out. 

There are two guest rooms in the house, and a main bedroom. Both guest rooms are currently empty. Ren takes the large package and enters one of the guest rooms. 

Ren is gone for nearly an hour and a half, but he has a slight nervous smile on when he walks back into the bathroom. He’s in his bathing suit, which makes Tokiya set down the book, but puts an even more nervous expression on Tokiya’s face. Tokiya seems scared, but he also seems to be trying to steel himself, to prepare himself to go into the ocean. Ren lifts him, carefully and gently. Tokiya holds onto him. 

Tokiya’s nervousness turns to surprise when Ren enters the guest room, and his eyes _really_ widen when he sees the plastic pool set up. 

“You’re going to flood your home.” Tokiya mumbles, but his voice holds quite a few emotions. It’s a very soft tone. “Did you really do this for me?”

“Of course. I’m not going to leave you alone in the ocean until you’re comfortable, but I can’t just keep you in the _bathtub_ either, baby. You deserve better than that. But the only thing that I’m worried about is that I couldn’t use saltwater for this. Are you going to be alright? This water isn’t going to be as easy to change.”

“I’ve been building up a tolerance, staying in the tub.” Ren can already tell how much more relaxed Tokiya is. He can sense the excitement, too. “This is perfect.” Tokiya smiles widely, and then he presses his lips firmly to Ren’s. “Thank you, Ren.”

Ren smiles, kissing his forehead. “This is temporary.” Ren reminds him. “I’m going to find something better than this. But I’ll be glad to see you have a _little_ more room. But there’s a catch.” Ren’s voice turns serious, but it’s gentle, too. “We have to work on helping you swim again, honey. I’m hoping that a safe place will help you gain confidence.” 

Tokiya leans into Ren, resting his head on Ren’s shoulder, looking down. “I’m not ever going to be able to swim right again.”

“It’s not going to be the same, no.” Ren says grimly. “But I know that if we work on it, you can still move around. I know it’s going to be hard, but I just want you to live the best life that you can.”

“I know.” Tokiya says quietly. “I’m grateful. I really am.”

Ren gives Tokiya a soft smile, and then he finally approaches the pool. It’s tall- going up to Ren’s chest, with a ladder to get in. Unfortunately, Ren can’t climb the ladder while holding Tokiya. “This is not going to be graceful.” Ren warns. 

Tokiya gives a weak but teasing smile. “It’s fine. You can just drop me in.”

Ren gives an amused shake of his head, but he lifts Tokiya up, trying to settle him as gently as he can, but in the end, he does end up having to drop him- just a bit. Tokiya catches himself fine, in the water. Ren moves to the ladder, to climb in with him. 

Ren can see Tokiya at the bottom of the pool, stretching out. He’s glad to see that Tokiya can lie flat at the bottom of the pool, because he really didn’t like leaving Tokiya in the tub. 

While Ren is in the pool, he’d make Tokiya practice. They start with Ren, holding Tokiya’s chest up and getting Tokiya to move his tail. Tokiya would have at least convinced Ren to cuddle before Ren had to get out, but Ren brings him dinner later, and Tokiya gets his first night of real rest in almost a week.

The next day, Tokiya hears Ren speaking with someone, but he’s unable to make out exactly what’s being said. The only lines he manages to make out only confuse him further. 

“If that’s what you’re looking for- the only place we could put it is the living room.”

“That’s perfect.” Ren answers, his voice fading as they move away from the bedroom door. “Now-” Ren’s voice gets too muffled and quiet to make out, no matter how hard Tokiya tries. 

When Tokiya tries to ask Ren about it later, Ren assures him that it’s nothing bad, and that Tokiya will find out soon.

As time progresses, Ren continues to help Tokiya until Tokiya can properly propel himself around in the pool, and even stay afloat in the ocean, though he still won’t go very deep, and he still won’t leave Ren. Ren only has to put Tokiya in the tub one more time, just to change the water in the pool.

Tokiya notices that Ren won’t walk near the living room- they’ve been solely exiting through the back door. But Ren continuously insists that nothing bad is going on, and Tokiya believes him. 

It’s some time later when Ren finally comes in to see Tokiya, who is hanging by the edge of the pool, reading. Ren smiles, and while there’s a fair amount of excitement obvious on his face, there’s a little bit of nervousness, too. 

“I have something to show you, baby.” Tokiya tilts his head, but he sets the book down on the shelf Ren had set up for him to use. He’d swim close to the side, to make it easier on Ren to lift him out, and Ren picks him up, holding him closely. “There are two things.” Ren doesn’t go into more detail- he instead just exits the room and heads towards the living room. It’s an obvious and immediate change- and that’s coming from Tokiya, who had seem the living room in nothing more than passing. 

There was a fairly large indoor pool, right in the middle of the floor. The TV is still in place on the wall, and there’s one couch, pressed against the wall of the room, but the pool is fairly large. 

“I know you’ve mentioned that you feel better in salt water- and it took some convincing, but I got them to use salt water instead. I’m sure that living so close to the beach probably helped me convince them.” It certainly wasn’t a cheap addition- but Ren felt that it was a worthy investment. “I’m hoping that this is going to be better than the plastic pool.”

Tokiya squirms, clearly excited, his eyes wide. “This is incredible.” There’s a heavy level of awe in his voice. He turns his head, pressing his lips to Ren’s in a kiss much more enthusiastic than usual. When he pulls away, there are tears in his eyes- but Ren can tell that they’re happy. “I don’t know how I could ever thank you.”

“I just want you happy, baby. I just want us to be happy together.”

Tokiya’s arms wrap around Ren’s neck, holding himself closer. “Can I get in?”

“In just a moment.” Ren promises. “I had one other thing installed while I was at it.”

Tokiya’s shocked expression returns, and an almost uncertain one crosses his face. “I really hope you didn’t spend a lot of your money on this. I’m unbelievably grateful- but I don’t want to put you in a bad position, Ren.”

Ren’s smile is soft and adoring. “I promise that I didn’t. I know you wouldn’t be happy if I drove myself into the ground for you.” He kisses Tokiya’s temple. “I promise you that everything’s alright.”

“As long as you’re being honest.” Tokiya tilts his head up, pressing his nose against Ren’s neck as he leads Tokiya to his bedroom. Tokiya had never been into Ren’s bedroom. This was the first time he’d see Ren’s bed. He’d eye it, and it makes Ren chuckle. 

“The surprise is in the other corner of the room, baby.”

There’s a bath- a type of jacuzzi tub, in the corner of the room. It was certainly a bigger size than the one in Ren’s bathroom. 

“I’ve been trying to think of ways that we can spend time together. It’s a little small- but it’s a little more intimate.” Tokiya watches Ren’s face with fascination, watching the red spread across his cheeks. 

“I think I changed my mind.” Tokiya’s smile is adoring. “I think I’d like to get into the tub.”

Ren laughs, and it’s a bright sound. “I was hoping that you’d say that.”

They’d spend a long time, curled against each other in the tub. 

“I like this.” Tokiya mumbles. “It feels like the best medium we’ve found yet. I know it can’t be easy for you. I’ve noticed that our bodies don’t work the same in water. You seem relaxed. I’m glad we have something that’s enjoyable for you.”

“I enjoy all of the time I spend with you.” Ren purrs. “But it is nice to just sit down and cuddle with you.”

Tokiya’s tail is draped over Ren’s lap. “This is much better than your tub, too. It’s still small, but it’s significantly more comfortable.”

Ren grins. “Good. Seeing you happy makes all of this worth it.”

They’d spend quite a long time in the bath, but when they finally get out, Ren brings Tokiya to the pool. Ren doesn’t get in completely, though he sits with his calves in the water, his feet on the island, watching Tokiya swim around. 

They’re both happy. 

It’s a nice feeling. 

“Toki-” Ren finally speaks up about what had been on his mind for some time, when Tokiya resurfaces. Tokiya moves over, using the island to lean against, watching Ren’s face. “I don’t want you to feel trapped.” Ren’s face is serious. “If you want to keep working up to living in the ocean again, I’ll keep going at it with you. I don’t want you to feel obligated to live here if you don’t want to.”

Tokiya blinks up at Ren, a bit surprised, and he’d tilt his head. “I don’t want to never visit the ocean again. It’s pretty, and I like it. But I want to live here.” Tokiya moves, to go rest against Ren’s legs. “This is perfect, Ren. You’ve set me up with more than I deserve, frankly. I want to live here with you. This pool is beautiful, and wonderful- and I’m more comfortable here than I’ve ever been in the ocean. And that’s largely because of _you_.” Tokiya moves again, raising himself up, resting on his tail to be face to face with Ren. “I love you, Ren.”

Ren gives a soft, adoring smile. “I love you, too, Toki.”

Ren leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to Tokiya’s forehead.

Tokiya grins, a bit teasing, though a light blush crosses his face. “Would you do that again?”


End file.
